Friday, August 7, 2009

Happy rez-iversary

Resumes are a bit like car insurance. You know you have to have it. The upkeep and filing is a hassle. Maybe years go by without a need to check your details are still correct..yeah, nothing has changed. It's just the same as it ever was.

Then BAM. Suddenly you're walking out of your familiar job for the last time. You've been made redundant or the company's folded - the bottom has fallen out of your income - and you are thinking quickly now about a rescue plan for yourself - how to get back on your feet and working again as soon as possible.

Like insurance, that resume is now the most important item in your life...which file on which hard drive is it on? Do I have a hard copy I can retype? Horror of horrors, will I have to write it from memory?

Unfortunately it's pretty clear to anyone if a resume has been written from memory, especially if the writer has become a bit bored with it as they journey back in time over their employment history. A job in the distant past might be described as say, a management role which involved looking after a team, managing all aspects of the business, controlling a budget and increasing sales. That's really not doing you or the commitment and dedication you gave to that role any justice at all.

So prevention is always better than cure (or damage control). If you are employed right now and quite comfortable in your position, start recording your key responsibilities and achievements.

Come back to it every three months or so, or more often as you need to. Not only will this be a great point of reference for you on a low day as a reminder of your value to the company, it will be a simple matter of copying your excellent selling points into your resume if you do find that you need it again in the future. This is not jinxing your security in your current role, it's a record of your success however you choose to use it.

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